1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat structure capable of creating a walk-through space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been known an automobile rear seat 30 having right and left seats 30R, 30L which are separated right and left, as illustrated in FIG. 6A. The terms “right (rightward)” and “left (leftward)” here mean directions on the basis of a seated passenger (this definition will also be applied to the following description).
A headrest 30a for a left seated passenger and a headrest 30b for a right seated passenger are supported on respective tops of the left seat 30L and the right seat 30R. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, one of the right and left seats (in this example, the right seat 30R) is turned after flipping up a seat cushion thereof, so that a walk-through space S is created between the right and left seats 30R, 30L (JP 11-189082A).
The above seat structure requires a lot of time and effort to create the walk-through space S, because it is necessary to perform both the operation of flipping up the seat cushion of the right seat 30R and the operation of turning the right seat 30R. Moreover, although the rear seat 30 is configured to, in a normal mode illustrated in FIG. 6A, allow total three passengers to be seated, respectively, in the left seat 30L, the right seat 30R, and a region striding across a boundary between the right and left seats 30R, 30L, in a side-by-side manner, it is not easy to install a headrest for a middle seat passenger who is seated in the region striding across the boundary between the right and left seats 30R, 30L (middle seat passenger's headrest).
As measures against the above problems, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, it is contemplatable that at least one of the right and left seats, for example, the left seat 30L, is adapted to be slidably moved in a leftward direction L so as to allow the right and left seats 30R, 30L to become spaced apart from each other to create a walk-through space S therebetween. This seat structure requires less time and effort for creating the walk-through space S, because it is only necessary to perform the operation of slidably moving the left seat 30L.
Further, it is contemplatable to install a middle seat passenger's headrest 30c (a headrest 30c for a middle seat passenger who is seated in the region striding across the boundary between the right and left seats 30R, 30L) in such a manner that it is supported on a top a seat back of one of the right and left seats, for example, the left seat 30L.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, when the left seat 30L is slidably moved in the leftward direction L so as to allow the right and left seats 30R, 30L to become spaced apart from each other to create a walk-through space (S) therebetween, the middle seat passenger's headrest 30c is in a position where a right half thereof protrudes into the walk-through space S.
Thus, the middle seat passenger's headrest 30c blocks a passenger from passing through the walk-through space S, so that there remains a need for improving this point.
In view of meeting the above need, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat structure contrived such that it can be equipped with a middle seat passenger's headrest, while avoiding a situation where the middle seat passenger's headrest blocks a passenger from passing through a walk-through space.